What we do
Legal Aid provides direct representation to clients in four practice areas as well as our Reentry Justice and Immigrants' Rights Legal Services Projects. We also handle appeals on a broad range of poverty law issues through its nationally-recognized Barbara McDowell Appellate Advocacy Project and advocate for policies that will benefit our client community through our policy advocacy program.
Housing Law
Domestic Violence/Family Law
We help survivors of domestic violence obtain short- and long-term safety and stability for themselves and their children by securing protective and custody orders. We also help clients obtain fair, accurate child support orders for their children – support that is particularly vital to families living in poverty – as well as assist in representing parents in custody disputes.
Public Benefits Law
We help District residents gain access to, and maximize their options for, health care and other essential safety-net benefits, such as securing unemployment benefits and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Consumer Law
We work to protect limited income and assets for our clients by focusing on preventing foreclosure and protecting vulnerable individuals from abusive debt collection practices that can be financially devastating for those living at or below the poverty line.
Appellate Advocacy
Our appellate project, recognized by the National Legal Aid and Defender Association as a “model of excellence,” pursues an anti-poverty agenda and litigates important cases before the D.C. Court of Appeals every year. The outcomes of these cases have the potential to impact hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals living in poverty in the District.
Immigrants’ Rights Legal Services Project
In April 2018, with a generous seed grant from the Venable Foundation, Legal Aid established this Project to provide advice, representation, and brief services in immigration matters as well as holistic services across all of Legal Aid’s practice areas to D.C.’s immigrant client community.
Learn more about the cases that Legal Aid handles
Domestic Violence & Family Law
Are you experiencing domestic violence, and/or do you need help with a custody, divorce, or child support case?
Housing
Are you having a hard time paying your rent, or do you need help getting your landlord to make repairs?
Appeals
Did you lose your case at D.C. Superior Court or at the Office of Administrative Hearings?
